Earlier this year, REAL Women of Canada launched a complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council to have Supreme Court Justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé thrown off the bench for judicial misconduct.

The judge denied REAL Women’s allegations when they were submitted to her by the CJC. But, seeing significant misrepresentations of fact in L’Heureux-Dubé’s response, REAL Women president Jeannine Lebel fired off another letter to the judicial council demanding further investigation. The organization also went public with its evidence, which was picked up by several news outlets, including the National Post.

REAL Women demanded that L’Heureux-Dubé be dismissed from the Supreme Court for violating her oath to remain impartial and objective. It has long condemned L’Heureux-Dubé’s radical feminist bias, but the last straw was her personal attack against Alberta Justice John McClung over the recent Ewanchuk sexual assault case.

Specifically, REAL Women charged that she had “used her appointment to the Supreme Court to promote her own bias – in particular, her personal belief in and support of feminist ideology.”

To corroborate its charge, REAL Women pointed out that the judge had held significant positions in feminist organizations, even while sitting on the bench. It accused her of belonging to the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and the International Federation of Women Lawyers.

Apparently, fearing the implications of these associations, L’Heureux-Dubé denied the allegations.

“With respect to the International Federation of Women Lawyers, I am not now, nor have I ever been, to the best of my recollection, affiliated with this organization,” she wrote.

“Regarding CRIAW, it is my recollection that I was approached in the mid-70s to assist in establishing this academic research institute (under a different name) …”

The CJC accepted the denials at face value and dismissed REAL Women’s complaint.

Lebel responded, telling the CJC that REAL Women possessed documents proving that L’Heureux-Dubé had been the vice-president of FIDA and that she even travelled to Venezuela in 1982 on its behalf.

REAL Women also submitted evidence that L’Heureux-Dubé was a founding member of CRIAW and a board member from 1976 and 1977, while serving as a judge on the Superior Court of Québec.

The CJC had dismissed this association, saying that “some judges belong to research, educational, professional and social organizations.”

REAL Women countered that, “CRIAW is not just an educational organization.” It argued that it attempts to influence government opinion as well as the courts.

The groups says CRIAW has a voice in the judicial system by way of the legal arm of the feminist movement, LEAF, which appears frequently before the Supreme Court of Canada.”

REAL Women is waiting to hear back from the judicial council in response to its second complaint. Spokesperson Gwen Landolt said she expects an “obtuse” reply which will attempt to sweep the issue under the rug.